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THE CORRECT EXCHANGE IN THE ENDGAME by Eduardas Rozentalis www.thinkerspublishing.com Managing Editor Romain Edouard Assistant Editor Daniël Vanheirzeele Proofreader Bernard Carpinter Graphic Artist Philippe Tonnard Cover design Iwan Kerkhof Typesetting i-Press ‹www.i-press.pl› Second edition 2018 by Th inkers Publishing Th e Correct Exchange in the Endgame Copyright © 2018 Eduardas Rozentalis All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-94-9251-019-8 D/2018/13730/1 All sales or enquiries should be directed to Th inkers Publishing, 9000 Gent, Belgium. e-mail: [email protected] website: www.thinkerspublishing.com TABLE OF CONTENTS KEY TO SYMBOLS 5 PREFACE 7 INTRODUCTION 9 CHAPTER 1. EVALUATION OF THE EXCHANGE 15 Simplifi cation in a better position 15 Simplifi cation in an inferior position 19 Exchange of the most active piece of the opponent 21 Exchange of a piece leads to a change in a pawn structure 26 The bishop pair advantage 27 EXERCISES 31 SOLUTIONS 35 CHAPTER 2. CALCULATION OF THE EXCHANGE 41 Forced simplifi cation of the position 41 Exchange as part of a forced variation 42 Exchange as a part of complications in an inferior position 44 EXERCISES 47 SOLUTIONS 51 CHAPTER 3. THE EXCHANGE: WHEN, WHERE, WHICH? 57 When to exchange? 57 Where to exchange? 59 Which piece to exchange? 64 EXERCISES 69 SOLUTIONS 73 CONCLUSION 83 TEST 89 TEST SOLUTIONS 107 KEY TO SYMBOLS ! a good move ?a weak move !! an excellent move ?? a blunder !? an interesing move ?! a dubious move only move =equality unclear position with compensation for the sacrifi ced material White stands slightly better Black stands slightly better White has a serious advantage Black has a serious advantage +- White has a decisive advantage -+ Black has a decisive advantage with an attack with initiative with counterplay with the idea of better is worse is Nnovelty +check #mate PREFACE OF THE 2ND EDITION In the Informant 120 I published an article “Going for a pawn ending — cal- culate the right exchange”. Having received much positive feedback, I considered writing a book on this subject: how to decide about the transition to a pawn ending. However recently an excellent book “Liquidation on the Chess Board” has been written by Joel Benjamin and this persuaded me to reconsider the general concept and change the subject to the exchange of pieces in the endgame. When should we exchange a piece in the endgame and when should we keep it? Why is it so important? How to make a right choice? In this book we ex- amine diff erent types of endings and off er guidance to decide upon the cor- rect decision. We will focus mainly on the exchange of pieces, not pawns. Th e exchange of pawns will be the subject of a separate book. Going through the instructive examples and numerous exercises you will see all the important aspects of the piece exchange in the endgame, and enrich your knowledge and understanding of the fi nal stage of the chess game. Try- ing to solve the positions, you will certainly improve your decision-making ability and analysing skills. Th e fi rst edition of the book was very well accepted by chess players of diff erent levels. I am especially happy that many chess coaches and teachers found it useful for their training programme. Th e book was announced a silver winner of the Boleslavsky Award 2016 by the FIDE Trainer’s Commission. Together with Th inkers Publishing we decided to produce a second, extended edition. I hope it will be successful as well. Eduardas Rozentalis October 2017 INTRODUCTION I would like to start with a complete Th is is a side variation. However, we game. The middlegame stage was will not discuss the opening here, as very short in this game; it transposed our subject is exchanges and the end- to the endgame soon aft er the open- game. ing. Th is game will show us the con- nection between the fi rst two stag- 6.d4 exd4 7.xd4 es and the endgame as well as the importance of the exchange. I have 8 r+lwqk+ntr picked it because there were no any 7 +pzp-+pzpp tactical complications and pure stra- 6 p+pvl-+-+ tegic ideas can be clearly seen. 5 +-+-+-+- 4 -+-wQP+-+ ▷ E. Rozentalis 3 ▶ T. Wedberg +-+-+N+- 2 PzPP+-zPPzP New York, 1997 1 tRNvL-+RmK- abcdefgh 1.e4 e5 2.f3 c6 3.b5 a6 4.xc6 White achieved one of his main goals: he exchanged a couple of cen- Th is is the Exchange variation of Ruy tral pawns which gives him a clean Lopez. White exchanges his Bishop pawn majority on the kingside, while to change the black pawn structure. It Black’s majority on the queenside is is by far not the main variation of the less striking as he has doubled pawns. Ruy Lopez but a quite popular open- ing among many players who cannot 7...f6 8.e3 e7 9.bd2 e6 or do not want to study or play very 10.c3 complex and long variations. It does not promise White any essential ad- White wishes to move his Knight to vantage, but just gives solid and clear c4, but the immediate 10.c4? would play. I used it practically my whole lose a pawn: 10...xh2+ 11.xh2 chess career and it delivered me many xd4 12.xd4 xc4. wins. 10...0–0 11.c4 4...dxc6 5.0–0 d6 10 THE CORRECT EXCHANGE IN THE ENDGAME 8 r+-wq-trk+ 8 r+-+rwq-mk 7 +pzp-sn-zpp 7 +pzp-+-zpp 6 p+pvllzp-+ 6 p+p+-zpn+ 5 +-+-+-+- 5 +-wQ-+-+- 4 -+N+P+-+ 4 -+-sNP+-+ 3 +-wQ-vLN+- 3 +P+-+-+- 2 PzPP+-zPPzP 2 P+P+-zPPzP 1 tR-+-+RmK- 1 +-+RtR-mK- abcdefgh abcdefgh White starts his simple plan: to ex- change as many pieces as possi- 19.xf8+ xf8 20.f3 ble, meanwhile exploiting his pawn structure advantage. White has achieved a lot. He has an extra pawn in the centre, which one 11...xc4? day he will be able to make good use of. As for Black’s extra pawn on the My opponent, Grandmaster Wed- queenside, it is doubled and much berg, allowed me to implement this more diffi cult to use it in an effi cient plan totally. He should have kept the way. Bishop and played 11...g6. 20...ad8 21.f2 12.xc4+ h8 13. ad1 e8 14.c5 xc5? It’s an endgame, so both sides can and should bring their Kings closer Once again, Black should not have to the centre. exchanged the Bishop. 14...d8 was the correct move, inviting White to 21...g8 22.f5 f7 23.e3 b5 exchange on d6 which would have improved Black’s pawn structure. Of course Black should try to organ- ize some play on the queenside, but 15.xc5 g6 16. fe1 f7 17.b3 fe8 this move also weakens his pawns. 18.d4 f8? He should probably have considered Voluntarily going for an endgame. 23...a5 24.a4 b6 followed by ...e6, re- White is more active and better, but locating the Knight to d4 or c5. the middlegame with Queens on the board would have given more chanc- 24.xd8 es for Black to equalize. INTRODUCTION 11 Th e moment has come to exchange 26...c5 27.e3 e6 28.f4 all Rooks. Th e white pawns are ready to move 24...xd8 25.d1 forward, seizing more space. 8 -+-tr-sn-+ 28...d7 29.b2 7 +-zp-+kzpp 6 p+p+-zp-+ It is equally important to improve the 5 +p+-+-+- Knight’s location. 4 -+-+P+-+ 3 +P+-sNP+- 29...d6 30.g3 2 P+P+-mKPzP White is in no hurry. 1 +-+R+-+- abcdefgh 30...e6 31.d3 d6 32.g4 25...xd1? Time to move the pawn. Black exchanges the last Rook and 32...c4 33.bxc4 bxc4 34.b4 c6 fi nds himself in a probably lost posi- tion. He absolutely should have kept 8 -+-+-+-+ one Rook. 7 +-+n+-zpp 6 p+pmk-zp-+ Better was 25...a8! aft er which Black 5 +-+-+-+- preserves his chances to get some 4 -sNp+PzPP+ counter-play on the queenside. 3 +-+-mK-+- 2 26.xd1 P+P+-+-zP 1 +-+-+-+- After swapping so many pieces abcdefgh we now reached a Knight ending. White has a clear advantage in the 35.a3! form of an extra pawn in the cen- tre, which allows him to organize a Such endgames usually do not re- passed pawn. In his turn Black has quire long calculations, just two or very little chance of creating a passed three precise moves ahead should do pawn, as his pawns are doubled. Th e the job. White prepares the way for Knight endgame is strategically won his Knight heading towards a2-c3. for White. All he needs is an accurate and precise technique to bring home Of course, not 35.xa6? c5 and the the full point. Knight is trapped. 12 THE CORRECT EXCHANGE IN THE ENDGAME 35...a5 36.a2 b6 37.c3 45...h5+ 46.f3 f7 47.e3 e6 48.f5+ We can see that the Knight is relo- cated excellently. It blocks the black With this move White prefers to win pawn and restricts the black Knight. the black h-pawn instead of making a passed pawn in the centre.